Global ICT Standardization Forum for India (GISFI) s1

Global ICT Standardization Forum for India (GISFI)

1.  Introduction

a)  As a further cost effective measure for the penetration of the cellular networks in the country, mainly in the rural area where it is not economically viable for all the service providers to establish their own telecom infrastructure, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has recommended active sharing of the GSM/GERAN based cellular network.

b)  TEC (Telecom Engineering Center) of DoT (Department of Telecom, Government of India) has conducted a technical meeting with all equipment vendors and the service providers to discuss the present day capabilities of the equipments for possible Active Infrastructure Sharing on 27th April 2011.

c)  With regard to present day capabilities of the equipment, most of the vendors explained that there is no 3GPP defined standard for the GSM/GERAN active infrastructure sharing and therefore the equipments are not available with the same capabilities. However some of the vendors did mentioned availability of their equipments which were not based on the standard.

d)  It is understood that 3GPP TSG SA WG2 Meeting #82, 15-19th November 2010, Jacksonville, FL, USA had considered a change request to introduce Network Sharing for GERAN MOCN (Multi Operator Core Network) mode in the existing 3GPP standard 3GPP TS 23.251. TS 23.251 (Rel 7,8,9) had already incorporated Network Sharing mechanism for UTRAN and E-UTRAN networks in Gateway Core Network (GWCN) and MOCN configurations. Change request document is attached.

e)  The same CR (TSG Doc. SP-100693) has been approved and incorporated in 3GPP Release-10 standard as 3GPP TS 23.251 v10.0.0 (2010-12) Technical Specification on Network Sharing: Architecture and Functional description which include GERAN. The same can be further studied to assess if it meet Indian requirements of network sharing. The TS is attached.

2.  Proposal

a)  It is proposed that GISFI-FRN carry out the study of the available 3GPP standard on GERAN network sharing and map its applicability to Indian Specific requirements of GERAN network sharing. The study will include the study of the existing national technical and regulatory guideline with respect to network sharing from TRAI or DoT.

b)  The GISFI study outcome is to be submitted to national telecom agencies including TEC, TRAI as “GISFI: GERAN Network Sharing Report” on the current state of standardization required for GERAN based network Sharing, meeting Indian specific requirement and constraints.

c)  The GISFI-FRN, in the process, should identify any standardization gap if exists, to meet Indian specific requirement and carry out the standardization to meet the gap in an suitable collaborative model with 3GPP.

d)  Any such gap and its standardization plan through GISFI should also be included in the “GISFI: GERAN Network Sharing Report”.

e)  Timeline proposed for the exercise is:

1. Formation of the active contributor’s team during GISFI Meeting #5, at Hyderabad.
2. Inputs from contributing members by 30th July 2011.
3. Email /phone interactions for carrying the task.
4. Telephone meeting to close the report by the contributing team by 30th August 2011.
5. Approval of “GISFI: GERAN Network Sharing Report” during the GISFI Standardization meeting #6, to be held in September 2011.

3.  Specific mention

This is one of the exercises which GISFI can carry out and establish itself as a key contributor in Indian telecom scenario. GISFI may like to identify more such opportunities to provide its key technical/standardization inputs to the advantage of various ongoing programs at national level.

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